Fedor Chudinov vs. Felix Sturm: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

Felix Sturm will look to get his career back on track when he faces WBA interim super middleweight champion Fedor Chudinov on Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany.

The experienced Sturm (39-4-3, 18 KOs) lost his IBF middleweight title to Sam Soliman just under a year ago, then fought out a draw with Robert Stieglitz in a catchweight contest last November.

Chudinov, in contrast, has won all 12 of his fights as a professional. He claimed the WBA belt on an interim basis with victory over Ben McCulloch in Moscow last December.

The Russian has recorded 10 wins by way of knockout and has only once been beyond the fifth round in his short career.

Also on the same card, Jack Culcay faces Maurice Weber. Their bout sees the interim WBA World super welterweight strap on the line.

When: Saturday, May 9 at 10 p.m (BST), 11 p.m. (CET)

Where: Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany

TV: SAT.1 (Germany), BoxNation (UK)

Live Stream: BoxNation (regional restrictions apply)

Still going strong

Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Despite failing to win his last two fights, and despite becoming a father for the second time in January, Sturm still seems as hungry as ever to continue in the ring.

But, at 36, he knows there is little room for error now. As Scott Gilfoid pointed out in his preview for BoxingNews24: "Sturm is looking to pick up a strap to get him ready for a title shot against WBO 168 pound champion Arthur Abraham."

If that is to become a reality, the man from Cologne cannot afford to lose against the dangerous Chudinov.

Sturm won the IBF, WBO, WBA and WBA belts as a middleweight, but has now moved up. That change in weight could be a double-edged sword.

However, he has, as ever, trained hard, judging by some of his tweets:

"

After 13 rounds of sparring my hands are recovering...feeling great! pic.twitter.com/5OUsQmDuC4

— Felix Sturm (@SturmBoxing) April 29, 2015"

"

3 days... pic.twitter.com/5yzUWo50ZH

— Felix Sturm (@SturmBoxing) May 6, 2015"

Yet at super middleweight he is going to come up against bigger foes. Sturm has never been known for his power, so he will have to use all his skills, and knowledge, to come out on top. 

Power player

Chudinov may not have had too many fights, but he is quickly building himself a reputation as a big hitter.

The Russian became interim champion in devastating fashion, knocking out Australian McCulloch in the second round.

The Australian Associated Press (h/t the Guardian) reported that McCulloch "laid face down for several minutes after being hit with a crunching right hand." Thankfully, he was able to walk out of the ring.

Chudinov will have to deal with a slight height and reach disadvantage against Sturm, as well as the majority of the crowd at a soldout Festhalle.

However, the 27-year-old, whose brother Dimitry was interim WBA middleweight champion before losing to Chris Eubank Jr. in February, should not be too concerned at having to travel.

After a fine amateur career that included becoming a world champion at junior level, per BoxRec, Chudinov started out in the paid ranks with four bouts in the United States.

Since then he has returned to his homeland, though last year he travelled to the Dominican Republic to defeat Andy Perez in a hurry.

This fight against Sturm, though, should give us a better indication of just how good he is.

Prediction

The key to predicting the outcome is trying to work out exactly where each fighter currently stands in their career.

Having failed to win his last two outings, is Sturm nearing the end of the line? And, while Chudinov is unbeaten, can the Russian step it up a level against an opponent with real pedigree?

The answers to those questions is yes, suggesting the current champion may be catching Sturm at just the right time.

Still, only one man has stopped Sturm inside the distance (Javier Castillejo, back in 2006). If it goes 12 rounds, he will triumph. 

But, if Chudinov can land enough shots and show off his power, he will retain his belt via way of stoppage. If that is the eventual outcome, it will have been a career-altering night for both men.